Manya Whitaker was officially inaugurated as the 15th President of Colorado College on Saturday, Nov. 8, following a two-year interim presidency which began in 2024.
The inauguration was held in Celeste Theater, located in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center on campus.
The event included multiple videos featuring reflections from Whitaker’s former students, musical performances by Ellement A Cappella and Whitaker’s father, Morris Whitaker, as well as an official oath of office and inaugural address given by Whitaker.
“I’m here because of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that transformed what was possible for people of color and women,” she said in her address.
“Black women earn 60 percent of degrees offered to Black students, yet still only represent three percent of full professors and two percent of college presidents. I stand here knowing I am both an exception and a promise,” Whitaker continued.
Whitaker has been employed at Colorado College for over 14 years, most notably as Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff, as well as serving as a Professor of Education specializing in courses on social and political issues in education. She also previously served as Interim Director of The Butler Center, Director of the Crown Faculty Center, Director of Graduate Studies and Chair of Education.
During her time as interim president, she surpassed fundraising goals, secured the Research Colleges and Universities distinction from Carnegie and navigated a tumultuous political climate for higher education.
In April, Whitaker notably co-signed a letter condemning the Trump Administration. In September, she told The Catalyst that she was remaining vigilant about the protection of international students as ICE was present in the local community.
The inauguration was centered around the phrase “Lifting as we Climb,” which is the motto of The National Association of Colored Women.
The motto, Whitaker said, represents her goals for the Colorado College community: to elevate the whole community and “create more spaces at the table.”
She emphasized the need to prepare the future generation to inherit and save a world plagued by climate change, rising authoritarianism and economic inequality.
Among the crowd at the ticketed event were members of Whitaker’s sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, a historically Black sorority founded at Howard University.
Michelle Williams, a member of the Colorado Springs Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, described her excitement.
“We’d like to congratulate Dr. Manya Whitaker for her leadership, her vision, and most importantly, her passion for higher education,” Williams said. “We know that she’s going to do great things here at the college, and we are with her every step of the way.”
Fellow higher education leaders were also in the crowd supporting Whitaker. Dr. Jennifer Sobanet, Chancellor at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), said she was looking forward to continuing to work with President Whitaker.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to have a great relationship between (UCCS) and Colorado College,” she said. “It’s just a joy to be able to be part of this celebration.”
A full video of the inauguration can be found on the Colorado College YouTube page.
Listen to The Catalyst’s radio coverage of the event from Megan Neton below.